Low Mass Antenna Boosts RFID Device Performance

About this technology

Overview

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a quarter-wavelength RFID dual mode antenna that provides polarization diversity and employs dual resonances, but in a form factor that is much smaller than other RFID antennas that provide similar functionality. Typically, antennas designed to provide this performance are on the order of half-wavelength structure which means a larger form factor. Development of this antenna was motivated by the Hyper-Distributed RFID Antenna (HYDRA) system. The HYDRA design seeks a “barely visible” implementation, with a coaxial cable connecting a number of RFID antennas that are not much bigger than the coaxial cable itself. This reduced size should be useful in enclosed vehicles, office spaces, laboratories, etc. Although this RFID dual mode antenna was originally developed for the HYDRA system, this antenna has other applications. For example, small antennas with polarization diversity in handheld RFID readers have long been a challenge. The industry standard is a ceramic half-wavelength puck that is somewhat heavy and leads to ergonomic problems with handheld RFID readers. This innovation could provide a substantial improvement in handheld readers, and similarly with drone-based readers, for applications in which mass is almost always a primary factor.